This Easy Best Vegan Stuffing is made like the classic breaded version but without any meat and is also oil-free and dairy-free. It is just 8 simple ingredients and a few easy steps!
EASY BEST VEGAN STUFFING
I’ve been blogging over 6 years and have never posted a Vegan Stuffing recipe before! That changes today. Partly in due to the fact that I got several requests for one. This Vegan Stuffing recipe is so easy to make, is oil-free (except for a little nonstick spray), is dairy-free and meatless.
Most stuffing recipes, even vegan versions, rely on oil and vegan butter for that richness. Nope, instead, I used pecans. Since I love to use pecans for buttery magic, like in these Vegan Apple Hand Pies and Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies, I knew it would give a buttery touch to this stuffing. It’s delicious!
For the bread, I used a Ciabatta bread loaf. I highly recommend this kind or a country loaf or french loaf from a bakery, they will yield the best texture. This recipe is not meant to be gluten-free, so please understand that if you need gluten-free, you’ll have better luck with an already written gluten-free stuffing recipe.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
(Only 8 main ingredients needed. Full details and measurements on the recipe card below.)
- 1 pound loaf of bakery-style bread like Ciabatta, Sourdough or French. I used Ciabatta because it has a really sturdy texture and holds up well.
- Pecans: The pecans here are the surprising and magical ingredient. Since traditional stuffing, even vegan stuffing recipes, use butter, we are replacing that with buttery pecans. Not only does it give the stuffing richness, it adds a lovely texture as well.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Celery
- Vegan worcestershire sauce: Traditional worcestershire sauce is not vegan, so make sure you are buying a vegan version. I buy the Annie’s brand, which can be found at Sprouts, Whole Foods or online.
- Low-sodium veggie broth: The Imagine brand is my fave. It has so much flavor!
- Fresh herbs (I used fresh sage and thyme)
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN STUFFING
Step 1: Start out by cutting your loaf into 1 inch cubes as pictured and place in a tray or bowl and leave to sit out at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight. This will dry out the bread well so it holds it’s texture for the stuffing. If you skip this step, you will end up with soggy stuffing. The stuffing should be moist and soft on the inside, but not soggy.
Step 2: Next, chop your onion, garlic and celery and saute until tender.
Step 3: Add the cooked veggies to a bowl, along with the veggie broth, worcestershire sauce, pecans and herbs, salt and pepper. Give it a good stir.
Step 4: Pour this mixture over the bread into the casserole dish and stir until very well coated. It will seem too dry at first, but stir for around 3-5 minutes until all the bread is moist and there is no more liquid at the bottom. If you weighed everything, it should be just right.
Step 5: Bake at 350°F (177°C) covered with foil for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the tips of the bread are crispy.
MORE VEGAN THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY SAVORY RECIPES
- The Best Vegan Fluffy Mashed Potatoes (No, really, they are. They are so popular with readers, that they also earned a spot in my Cookbook!)
- Thyme Cabernet Gravy
- The Best Vegan Lentil Loaf
- Vegan Gluten-free Cornbread
- Best Ever Oil-free Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Easy Vegan Stuffing (8 Ingredients!)
Ingredients
- 1 pound loaf (16oz or 455g Ciabatta bread cut into 1 inch cubes (I buy mine at Sprouts)
- 1 packed cup (160g) finely diced red onion
- 1 cup (115g) chopped celery (3-4 stalks)
- 5 large cloves garlic, minced (15g)
- 2 cups (480g) low-sodium vegetable broth (Imagine is my fave)
- 2 teaspoons (10g) VEGAN worcestershire sauce (I buy the vegan Annie's brand from Sprouts or here)
- 3/4 cup (90g) tiny pecan pieces (see pic)
- 3/4 tsp salt, separated and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh herbs (I used 2 tablespoons sage and 1 tablespoon thyme, definitely don't omit the sage and you can use all sage if you like, it's a classic flavor in stuffing!)
NOTE
- You can use another type of bread if you like that is similar in texture to a Ciabatta. Like a sourdough or french bakery loaf. You want a sturdy loaf so it holds up well and doesn't get soggy.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- First, place your cubed bread in a tray or bowl and leave to sit out at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight. This will dry out the bread well so it holds it's texture for the stuffing. If you skip this step, you will end up with soggy stuffing, so don't skip it. The end result stuffing should be moist and soft on the inside, but not soggy.
- After the bread has sat the designated time, add it to a greased 4 quart casserole dish. If you do not have a 4 quart dish, 2 8x8 square pans will work too. I used nonstick spray. It's important to spray your dish or otherwise the stuffing will stick bad. It's a small amount needed for this, so don't stress over this for Thanksgiving. Set aside.
- Have all of your veggies, herbs and pecans chopped and ready to go before beginning, as the next steps are quick.
- Add the onion, celery, garlic, only 1/4 teaspoon salt and 6 tablespoons (90g) water to a large pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until tender and ALL the water is gone, about 5-8 minutes. Add the freshly minced herbs to the pan and stir around for about 30 seconds or so constantly until fragrant. Remove from the heat.
- To a large bowl, add the broth, pecans and cooked veggie/herb mixture. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and worcestershire sauce and stir well.
- Pour this mixture over the bread in the casserole dish. Stir for 3-5 minutes tossing well until all the bread is coated and is moist. It will seem too dry at first, but keep stirring until the liquid is no longer sitting at the bottom. This will ensure it bakes up correctly.
- Bake at 350°F (177°C) covered with foil for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the tips of the bread are crispy. Let sit 5 minutes and then serve immediately. I like to add extra minced fresh sage and thyme, but this is optional, as many find them fresh too potent. Serve with my Thyme Cabernet Gravy and you are in business!
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Do you use a vegan Worcestershire sauce?
She states in the ingredient list that she uses Annie’s vegan worcestershire sauce.
Yes, she gets the Annie’s brand from Sprouts 🙂
Looks delish girl! I am all about the sides, and the more the merrier. We are gone this year for Thanksgiving but I kinda want to make all the sides for dinner when we get back. Ha!
Thanks friend! I’m all about the sides, too, haha!
An absolutely wonderful and wayyyy healthier twist on a classic holiday favourite !!
Oh yay, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it Bella, thank you so much!
I made it today and it’s sooo good! Best vegan stuffing recipe hands down!
Yay, thank you so much for leaving the review Kara, so happy you loved it!
This looks amazing, I’m going to save this recipe for our Christmas dinner. Thank you again xx
This stuffing was soooo good. My meat eating brother stood at the stove eating half of it with his fingers. Now he wants the cookbook. It will be my Christmas present to him.
My personal preference is to reduce the salt. However, the overall flavor is excellent. It will be a keeper for sure!!
Yay Judy! So glad to hear it was such a hit! Mine tasted perfect in the salt level, but many different brands of veggie broth as well as bread choice will have different sodium levels, so that could affect it. So glad your brother loved it, so awesome!
Fantastic, I think it is even better 2 and 3 day….you are so creative, thank you
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Joanne, thank you for the review!
Planning ahead for fall eating and came across this delicious looking recipe! Are the pecans necessary? Have a nut allergy. Thanks!
Hi Krista! Hmm, that is tough because the pecans, a whole 3/4 cup is used in this recipe. It’s purpose is for butteryness, texture and flavor. It’s going to be lacking with out, especially since the recipe is oil-free, the pecans really amp up the flavor. You can always try it, but it’s definitely not going to be the same result.
Could you add some of your vegan cornbread to the mix, like traditional dressing? Well, traditional in the south!
Hi Kathi! I’ve never tried this. The dressing will turn out dry if you add more bread in addition to what I have here. You could try doing a portion of the bread with my cornbread but I’ve not tried it so I don’t know how it’d turn out! I do want to create a cornbread dressing for the blog, so thank you for the reminder, haha!
Please create a cornbread dressing recipe!
Thank you for the request Robin, I will add it to my to-do list, thank you!
I made this recipe for Thanksgiving. It was delicious and got rave reviews from all our guests. I cut corners by buying some cubes of pre-dried bread, specifically for stuffing. I’m curious how it might taste with Ezekiel (or similar) bread, and might try that next time. Either way, I’m going to file this away for next year’s Thanksgiving meal. Thank you!
This was one of the best stuffing recipes I’ve had. The bread was perfectly crisp a s fluffy inside. The fresh herbs took it over the top. Perfectly seasoned as well. This will be on holiday rotation. For sure!
Yay that is awesome, thank you Kara for making it!
This stuffing was the star of my Thanksgiving meal! It came together so easily! I used homemade gluten free bread that I cubed and dried out. The seasonings in this stuffing recipe are amazing! Also, this reheats exceptionally well in the microwave and stove! It is moist and delicious! I absolutely will be making this again!
We have been plant based for 7 years. I have tried many recipes for Thanksgiving stuffing. This recipe is the best we have ever made. Thank you so much.
Wow, that is so amazing to hear, thank you so much Sue!
I can’t do sage.
Any substitute?
This stuffing is absolutely phenomenal! I followed step by step, and as always Brandi has shared another winning recipe! Not only is it delicious, my house smells so great! I may eat the whole casserole dish by myself!! Thank you Brandi!! XOXO
Would walnuts work? I have those on hand.
Hi Colleen! Walnuts are very bitter to me and not as sweet as pecans, so I’m not sure how it will affect the flavor, but technically they would work in the recipe! I just think the flavor might not be as good.
Looks delicious! Could you line your dish with parchment paper instead of nonstick spray?
I’ve never tried that! The stuffing may not get as crispy the same way but you are of course welcome to test it.
Do you think it would hold up if I
Put some toasted butternut squash ini it? Trying to make more of a meal.